Review: 'Total Recall' Is Entertaining But Not All That Memorable

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This is an action thriller about reality and memory. The film, directed by Len Wiseman (Underworld) is inspired by Philip K. Dick's short story 'We Can Remember It for You Wholesale'.

The time is the future...And it's a very bleak one indeed. Most of the earth, thanks to war, is now uninhabitable. There's only the United Federation of Britain, where the 'haves' live and the Colony where the 'have-nots' reside.

Here we meet factory worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) who even though he has a very hot wife (Kate Beckinsale) whom he loves, the dude is very unhappy. He feels something is missing from his life and wow, is he ever right.

So one evening, unable to sleep, he takes a stroll around town and finds himself at RECALL, a company that can make any fantasy seem like it's reality.

Apparently, Doug always wanted to be a super spy. Just as he's about to be injected with a magic serum that will makes his dream come true, the cops burst in with their guns blazing and to Doug's surprise...he takes them all out.

Imagine that...From there, it's all thrills and spills as Doug is hunted by a synthetic police force controlled by the evil Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston).

Lucky for our hero, he has the help of rebel fighter (Jessica Biel) who not only looks great in jeans but can kick some serious butt. She also happens to work for the underground resistance, led by a mysterious man named Matthias (Bill Nighy).

The line between fantasy and reality gets blurred and the fate of the world hangs in the balance as Quaid tries to discover his true identity, his true love and his true fate.

Speaking of having a lot on your plate...

'Total Recall' is very different from the 1990 film starring the 'Arnold' and personally, I like this version much better.

The visuals are stunning and the action, even though at times repetitive, is fun.

So if you're in the market for an entertaining film, then go see 'Total Recall' which opens in theatres Friday, August 3, 2012.